Operation Game Warden

USS Harnett County (AGP-821) part of Task Force 116

Date

December 18, 1965 – March 1973

Location

Mekong Delta, South Vietnam

Result

American/South Vietnamese operational success

South Vietnam's extensive inland waterways secured
Viet Cong fleet decimated

Belligerents

United States

South Vietnam

Viet Cong

Commanders and leaders

William Westmoreland

David L. McDonald

Casualties and losses

100 to 200 killed

2,000 Viet Cong craft destroyed, damaged, or captured
1,400+ killed, wounded or captured

American/South Vietnamese operational success

United States

Operation Game Warden was a joint operation conducted by the United States Navy and South Vietnamese Navy in order to deny Viet Cong access to resources in the Mekong Delta. Game Warden and its counterpart Operation Market Time are considered to be two of the most successful U.S. Naval actions during the Vietnam War.

The Mekong River Delta extends south and west from the city of Saigon and covers over 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers). During the Vietnam War the strategic importance of the Delta was undeniable as it housed almost 8 million civilians and land movement was extremely restricted a majority of the year during the wet season. The Delta contained just one hard surface road connecting Saigon to Ca Mau while most other roads were completely unusable due to damage from the war or flooding, therefore conventional wheeled or tracked vehicles were not reliable. Water travel quickly became the primary means of travel, transportation, and communication for both the allies and Viet Cong (VC). The Mekong Delta provided the VC with the ability to move virtually undetected as over 50,000 junks operated in the region. Numerous communist strong holds located in the Mekong Delta often went unchallenged and allowed for easy movement between the bases, especially at night. Viet Cong base areas in the region included installations in the Rung Sat Special Zone, Cocoanut Grove in Go Cong Province, Cam Son Secret Zone near My Tho, U Minh Forest on the western coast, and the Seven Mountains region on the Cambodian border. The VC utilized approximately 1,400 miles (2,300 km) of natural waterways in the Delta, complemented by an additional 2,400 miles (3,900 km) of man-made canals.

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Wikipedia